Icicles!!

Key words: steep, icy

Water drips steadily from seeps, places water follows hidden cracks to emerge from the darkness. In warm seasons these may be a patch of moisture enabling the growth of ferns, only becoming evident when air is cold enough to freeze slowly running water.

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These macros capture the Moss, Fern and Lichen. These thrive in this environment.

These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for a slideshow of this Waterfall of the Old Mill sequence
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Of Rocks and Seeps

Step into an early spring morning where sudden frosts adorn the Waterfall by the Old Mill with fleeting icicles, capturing nature’s delicate balance between freeze and thaw.

New icicles formed overnight from seeps through the sedimentary walls around the Waterfall by the Old Mill. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment.

Here icicles formed during the quick April freeze hand above Fish Kill. Kill is an old Dutch word for creek.

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Here a mix of frost and lichen mottle the rock layers.

These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for a slideshow of this Waterfall of the Old Mill sequence
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Three Views, Falls of the Old Mill

Join me on a frost-kissed journey along the Rim Trail, capturing the transient beauty of falls freed from winter’s grip, where nature’s power remains untamed and vividly alive.

A day the falls run free of ice. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment. Here are three captures of the same waterfall, the first visitors to the upper park encounter and the most visited and photographed right off the parking area.

Fish Kill was captured at this point to provide power to grind grain. Today neither nature nor man control the flow. Kill is the old Dutch word for creek.

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I have never counted the waterfalls from this one to the grand sweep of lower falls. The falls are uncountable because no two people could agree on how small a fall to credit.

Of these three versions, i prefer this one for the foreground inclusion of the enormous limestone blocks set to protect visitors from the drop. This scene is challenging photographically, bifurcated as it is by the bright sun over the fall brink. I prefer to shoot these falls early morning, for this reason, before the sun illuminates the area at all. Long exposures required demand a rock solid tripod, as it is just off the parking lot I use my studio Manfrotto for the work. Here all shots were handheld.

I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for a slideshow of this sequence of the Waterfall of the Old Mill
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Thin Crescent with McGraw Tower, Venus and Star

Here I revel in the spectacle of an early morning rising of the cresent moon.

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Thin Crescent Bowl filled with Earthglow

Here I explore the concepts of “earthglow” and occultation.

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Harvest Views

One October Evening

When Pam and I lived in an converted mill house on Malloryville Road one walk we’d take with cameras was out the front door, turn right and walk the road to the hilltop to take in the views.

“October Evening on Fall Creek Farmland”

Ripe corn on Malloryville Road from a hill above the Fall Creek valley.

Click any photograph to visit my OnLine Gallery “Finger Lakes Memories.”

“Into the Distance”

Fall Creek Valley view from Malloryville Road looking southwest.  In the far distance is Connecticut Hill.  You can see the towers of Ithaca College from here, but not in this photograph.

“Harvested Field”

Here are more views from this Harvest View evening.  Click the link to go there.

“Celestial Geese”

“Antique Silo Apple Harvest?”

Copyright 2024 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Watching with the Willows

On a brisk day at Stewart Park, I stroll alongside Cayuga Lake, observing Canadian Geese and white willows. The tranquil, interconnected scene proves an enduring memory despite everyday worries.

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The Well

In twilight’s hush, embraced by oaks,
A well of stone, with stories etched in lace,
Now table made, where others’ whispers weave,
And time’s soft hands a tapestry conceive.

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Sycamore Leaves in Time

Read this blog for an understanding of how the sycamore leaf symbolizes themes such as shelter, the cycles of life and death, decay, freedom, and individuality, reflecting the intimate connection between nature and the evolving American identity.

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Resilience and Beauty: The Ginkgo in Fall

Naked branches reach,
Sky braces for winter’s kiss,
Earth turns, leaves embrace.

Continue reading “Resilience and Beauty: The Ginkgo in Fall”